Behind the University of South Carolina Athletic Department's graphics, highlight reels and hype videos is a student working on the New and Creative Media team.
These students are a constant presence at every sporting event whose efforts do not go unnoticed by the players they work with.
"I remember my first event I ever shot was a track event. So there's a bunch of events at a track meet, and every time I'd walk around with my camera, I'd just see my players' eyes light up," third-year visual communications student Amon Parsons said. "They got really excited to know that people actually cared about what they do."
Throughout his time with the team, third-year visual communications student Alex Marinelli has done a combination of photo, video and editing work to bring athletes' stories to life.
“It’s really cool that that role has grown a little bit and changed from just video to video and photo and creating content that is going on all different types of platforms,” Marinelli said.
Members of the New and Creative Media team found their way to the organization through different motivations. Some, including third-year visual communications student Brodie Perry, were interested in producing sports content before they arrived on campus their freshman year.
“When I started doing media in high school, I was trying to decide which college I wanted to go to, and then they told me about (associate athletics director for New and Creative Media) Justin King and the University of South Carolina,” Perry said. “I started following his work, and then I DMed him my senior year of high school, and he said, ‘As soon as you get here to USC, we can start talking about internships and stuff like that.'”
Others, like Parsons, who previously studied mechanical engineering, focused on other disciplines before deciding to head in a new direction.
“I ran into someone who used to be an engineering student as well, who also switched to media arts, and he said it was the best decision he ever made,” Parsons said. “He seemed genuinely happy and excited to do his work, and I wanted to feel like that.”
Despite the paths each member followed to the New and Creative Media team, they say they are united in their passion for telling stories and forming strong relationships with the athletes they work with behind the scenes.
“You might just see them on the court or the field as this, like, a rowdy player, but in actuality, they’re really chill. They just eat Chipotle and play games all day,” Perry said.
Team members said they also enjoy seeing the positivity their work brings into the lives of South Carolina athletes.
“When you show them the content you make and then see a smile on their face, that just makes the whole process worth it,” Perry said.
Parsons said South Carolina’s vibrant sports culture makes interacting with these athletes a much more memorable experience.
“When I got to college, it blew my mind because all these people, all these strangers, [were] all united by one thing, which for our school, is the Gamecocks. And it felt so cool to be a part of that community and to tell a story,” Parsons said.
Like many on the New and Creative Media team, Marinelli said he hopes his efforts will lead to a successful career in the sports world.
"I would love to continue to work in sports,” Marinelli said. “It has a special place in my heart from being an athlete my whole life.”
Marinelli said he could not imagine where he would be without the support of his teammates and the experience and knowledge he gained in the process.
“To learn and grow and be taught by the full-time staff and, of course, Justin (King), is something that not everybody gets,” Marinelli said. “So having that at USC is such a blessing.”